Tag: Trail Family

The Amazing South Sierra

This is my fifth trip into the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It stretches 400 miles long and about 70 miles wide for a mind-boggling 40M square miles. I got to take the journey through 110 miles of the southern end of this magical place with my son Scott. The scope of this gem is hard to fathom, and the photos shared might blur together. But each and every valley or vista we traveled called for deeper exploration.

One request frequently faced by PCT hikers is for family or friends to join them on a portion of the hike. This often ends badly as the finely tuned bodies and packs required for thru-hiking meet their guests’ not so finely tuned bodies and packs. I had no such concerns about Scott, given his penchant for ultra-marathons and other endurance events. But even he admitted that the 30-year age advantage did not fully account for my 750 miles on the trail. He did, however, make up the difference by the time we reached Mt. Whitney and left me hiking in the dark.

The trip started frantically picking up Scott in Reno, driving six hours to Kennedy Meadows, and sorting gear and food for a week. We got a late start, and neither of us was in very high spirits as the mid-day heat and reality of 110 miles loomed ahead.

Sorting our gear and food for seven days

Leaving Kennedy Meadows with a hot sun and monstrous packs

The first two days were through the transition zone of high desert to alpine abundance. We had to carry water to last a full day, given the infrequent opportunities to fill.

The first day ended at the South Kern River – a morale booster

Our campsite on the second day provided views of what was to come

By day three, we kicked into gear to start climbing from 6K feet into the 10K – 14K feet elevations that would be our new home. The living systems were changing before our eyes.

The Bristlecone Pine forests greeted us at every turn

We camped at an alpine lake at over 11K feet

Days four through six included epic adventures from climbing Mt. Whitney (14.5K ft) before sunrise to hiking through mountain plains that looked like Peru and climbing over Forester Pass (13.2K ft) with a snowstorm closing in. The physicality of the place consumed me – this was tough work. But that faded rapidly as the majesty fueled me. I could spend a week exploring any one of the dozens of mountain basins we saw. This place is a must-see if you lose yourself in wild places.

Looking back at Mt. Whitney, now a tiny bump on the horizon

The mountain plain stretched for miles as we approached Forester Pass

Summiting Forester Pass (13.2K ft) required scrambling over a cornice at the top

We had miles of snow to contend with on the north side of Forester Pass

Our final look back into this fantastic area as we left through Kearsarge Pass

Tags California, Freezing, Post-Holing, Sierra, Trail Family, Water

Hiking the PCT

Good Morning Mt. Whitney

I am sending this post from the highest place in the continental US. My son, Scott, and I started our climb at 2 AM and arrived to watch the sunrise over Death Valley. Scott joined me at Kennedy Meadows, and we have hiked 75 miles and climbed nearly 20K feet. Summiting Whitney was worth every step.

Getting Ready – approaching Mt. Whitney from the east

We hiked into Crabtree Meadows yesterday to prepare for the 7.8 mile, 4K foot climb.

We left camp at 2 AM and worked together to find the trail with our headlamps.

We used sleeping bags to wait for the sun.

Exhaling crystals
heart pounds like a pile driver
Mt. Whitney awaits.
                        Ribs

Tags California, Freezing, Haiku, Sierra, Trail Family

Hiking the PCT

My Dear Friend, SoCal PCT

Post author By Rich Duncombe
Post date May 3, 2021
No Comments on My Dear Friend, SoCal PCT

I am dedicating this post to my new dear friend – the Southern California section of the PCT. I completed the hike to Kennedy Meadows yesterday in style with a 31-mile day driven by my trail family as we raced to spend an evening at Grumpy Bears, an oasis for hikers preparing to enter the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was a fitting end to a hike through entirely new terrain and experiences. If the hike ended here, I would have stories and friends for a lifetime. My thru-hiker bug is excited to turn the page to see what is next.

My reward for pushing hard to get to Grumpy Bears (I love this place).

I completed 700 miles in 30 hiking days, or 23 miles a day. I took five days off (zeros) for an average of 20 miles a day in total. 700 miles is 26% of the total PCT mileage, and I have climbed around 140K feet or 28% of the total. These numbers don’t mean anything on the trail because every mile, every vista, and every step brings something new. I have never had such an extended immersive experience.

Crossing 700 miles after a wild last day.

Even though I have backpacked for decades, thru-hiking is relatively new to me. Thru-hiking is different in that the enjoyment comes from the journey, not from reaching a destination. You carry everything on your back for the entire day, so simplicity is key.

Today I met Yogi, a woman that opened the door to thru-hiking. Yogi, or Jackie McDonnell, has hiked the Appalachian Trail twice, Pacific Crest Trail 3.5 times, the Continental Divide Trail twice, and the Colorado Trail once. Her books made thru-hiking accessible. I was starstruck when I discovered she and her partner own the Triple Crown Outfitters re-supply depot at Kennedy Meadows. I have learned so much from Yogi, and she is my meta trail angel.

Yogi giving me the PCT 2021 Class bandana.

I will leave you with a few photos of the last section of the trail leading from the Mojave Desert into the Sierra. I am jumping north for a week before starting the Southern Sierra section with my son Scott. Thanks for joining me and feel free to share this blog with others. See you down the trail.

Sawtooth Peak reminds me of my days hiking in Idaho.

A morning climb from Spanish Needle Creek.

Crossing Walker Pass at 6 AM to climb Mt. Jenkins.

Tags California, Desert, Sierra, Trail Family

PCT Reflections

Wishing you were here

I have turned the corner and started to head north again. I am taking a zero and will restart the trail on mile 511. I have achieved a significant milestone – crossing the 500-mile mark, but it is bittersweet. I had to skip miles 486 – 511 due to a trail closure because of the Lake Fire. This is the second section of the trail closed by recent forest fires.

Ideas for what to write typically come and go. This post has been with me for three weeks emotionally, even though the pieces don’t seem evident on an intellectual level. Sharing what I am experiencing on the trail can feel like trying to explain a dream to someone – so please bear with me.

As soon as I started climbing mountains in Southern California, I experienced the scale and devastation of their wildfires. Many areas of the trail have been closed due to unstable soil and the danger of falling debris. The above photo from Apache Peak shows the damage 12 years later. I live in the northwest; I am used to hiking through some burned sections of the forest. But here, it is the norm – day after day.

I noticed my pattern of ignoring the burned sections and pushing through to the lush forest. The dense forests along the PCT in Southern California are few and far between. I understand that forest fires play a role in natural ecosystems. Still, we have crossed into a new regime of fires that burn hotter and more frequently fueled by higher temperatures, frequent interaction with humans, and misguided fire suppression methods.

I’ve always had a thing for trees. I befriend trees in our local forests and look forward to visiting them. I feel comforted by them, and they give me a sense of wisdom that spans the generations. On the trail, I have started touching them to connect on a different level and sometimes even chew on a small piece of bark. Many date back 400 years or more, and although they are independent, they survive together. Thru-hiking into a grove immediately calls me to attention.

To see even one, let alone scores of these wise giants, fall together gives me a feeling of extreme loss. They know how to withstand fires, and by the time they reach maturity, they have seen many fires come and go, and their bark bears these scars. But they were not built to withstand the infernos of these times.

The unexpected and tragic loss in the natural environment has frequently brought me back to those I have lost in life. My brother loved sharing wilderness adventures, was as kind, strong, and determined as they come, and became a kid when he was outdoors. We became two kids, the same ones who shared a bedroom for most of our childhood and talked about everything under the sun. He was swept away by cancer too young. He would have been so engaged in my hike, whether on the trail or giving me his full support.

Walking the trail provides a constant reminder of how fragile and precious life is – including the lives of all that share the earth with us.

Tags California, Connectedness, Legacy, Trail Family, Wildfire

Hiking the PCT

Well, now

For the first few days on the trail, I felt like I was setting the agenda. That bubble burst this week. After ten days and 200+ miles, it is clear that the trail and everything surrounding it provide the experience, and I am here to learn (one way or another). My lesson so far is to connect with what is, don’t add my delusional views, whether blissful, angry, or needy. Then I must decide what I will make of it. I will be relearning this lesson every day, and I sense there are many chapters to come.

Crossing a welcoming meadow north of Warner springs.

Segment 2 started with two hot days, little water, and questionable sources. With 10K feet of climbing, I began to get angry, thirsty, and hungry. All these growing obsessions were neither accurate nor helpful. The bliss-meter took a nosedive. I found refuge at Mike’s Place, a renowned oasis in the Lost Valley of all places. Never has a tortilla filled with a hot dog slathered in refried beans tasted so good.

This was one of the better water sources.

Good strumming and conversation at Mike’s Place.

I climbed the San Jacinto mountains for the next three days, known as one of the PCT’s most challenging and dangerous sections due to the exposure and volatile weather. On the first day, I faced 60-mile hour winds and on the second deep snow. It is beautiful, but every few steps, I post-holed waist-deep, risking injury. I decided to detour around the final 30 miles as an even stronger wind storm approached. My learning was put to the test as my ego argued against all evidence to fight through the conditions and my fatigue. I chose to learn and hike another day. Well, now, my trail angel just arrived.

I started to post-hole on every step and quickly lost the trail. Following other tracks only made it worse as they also wandered through the basin.

Tags California, Desert, Falling, Post-Holing, Trail Family, Trail Magic, Water